Māris kļaviņŠ, azamat azizov, JĀnis zaļoksnis environment, pollution, development: the case of uzbekistan

NATURAL 
RESOURCES
Exhaustible 
natural resources
Inexhaustible 
natural resources
Non-renewable
natural resources 
(mineral deposits) 
Partially renewable 
natural resources 
(soil, peat)
Inexhaustible 
natural resources
Conditionally 
inexhaustible 
natural resources
Renewable 
natural resources 
(plants, animals)
Figure 2.6. 
Classification 
of natural resources

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2. UZBEKISTAN: A COUNTRY WITH HISTORY, PRESENT AND FUTURE
 13
It must be noted that even this classification is conditional and 
the belonging of some natural resources to one or another group 
may  be  reconsidered;  classifications  in  popular  publications  and 
scientific research can also demonstrate essential differences. In ex-
haust ible natural resources are the resources whose reserves are not 
depleted by use, for example, solar energy, wind energy and heat 
of the Earth’s interior. Water resources have long been regarded to 
be in exhaustible natural resources; however, now many would class 
them as conditionally inexhaustible or partially renewable resources, 
con sidering the particular importance of freshwater for sustaining 
life and its increasing consumption in the world.
In dividing resources into renewable and non-renewable, it is 
important to consider the time necessary for the used natural pro-
ducts to be replaced by new ones. It is assumed that it takes several 
generations for the renewable natural resources to be replaced by 
other resources. Such are, for example, timber, game animals, fish. 
Non-renewable resources can never be renewed, for example, fossil 
fuels (oil and coal) and metallic ores. It is necessary to determine 
the period of renewal since some resources are renewed over a very 
long time. Oil or coal has formed over millions of years, which is 
thousands of times slower than their human consumption rate.
The inclusion of some natural resources among renewable 
resources lacks justification. For example, resources of the sea (fish, 
crustaceans) were long considered as exhaustible renewable natural 
resources. At the turn of the 20
th
 century, the per capita consumption 
of fish was ~16 kilograms. For many peoples fish and other seafood 
are their principal daily sustenance. It has been calculated that the 
total admissible annual harvest of fish and other sea animals in the 
world amounts to 85 million tons. However, the figure was ignored 
until  fishing  exceeded  the  species’  replenishment  rate.  47-50%  of 
fish and other populations of sea animals have decreased so rapidly 
that their natural replenishment is nearly impossible; 15-18% of 
populations are potentially endangered; 9-10% have decreased 
but their natural replenishment is possible; 21% are moderately 
exploited, while only 4% of populations have not been affected.
Uzbekistan is rich in natural resources. Resources of natural 
gas covers local needs and the extraction of gas in 2005 reached 
60  billions  m
3
.  Also  resources  of  oil  have  industrial  importance. 
Ore mining is of major importance for national economy. The gold 
resources are evaluated to be 2100 tons, but this amount can reach 
3500 tons. The yearly mining of gold reaches 80-85 tons (~3% of 
the global production). Uzbekistan also has significant resources of 
polymetallic ores. 
One of the most important natural resources is agricultural 
land  and  soil  –  the  biologically  active  upper  layer  of  land  with  a 

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14 
ENVIRONMENT, POLLUTION, DEVELOPMENT:  THE CASE OF UZBEKISTAN
unique property – fertility. Soil development is an extended, gradual 
and very complex process. Soil is commonly understood as the 
uppermost layer of the Earth’s crust formed by mineral particles, 
organic substances, water, air and living organisms. Soil is the 
contact and interaction zone for the Earth, air and water, and the 
habitat for most of the biosphere. 
Agrarian land can be divided into three categories: irrigated land, 
dry land, and natural pasture. The Republic’s State Forest Reserve 
accounts  for  about  3.2%  of  its  total  surface  area  (444 600  km
2
). 
Uzbekistan’s forests can be divided into sand-desert, wetland and 
valley, and mountainous forests; bushes and shrubs also occupy a 
significant  area.  The  Republic’s  State  Forest  Reserve  accounts  for 
about 80 thousand square kilometres, some 85% of which lies in the 
sand zone, 13% in the mountainous zone, and only 2% in wetland and 
valleys.
As  solar  radiation  is  abundant,  the  only  factor  inhibiting 
utilization of agrarian land is a shortage of water resources. Thus, 
irrigated farming is the basis of agricultural production. Most arable 
land is irrigated, and only a minor portion of this land is non-
irrigated land. The climate in Uzbekistan is favourable for growing 
crops that thrive in temperate or tropical zones, particularly cotton. 
Indeed, cotton is its major crop. However, grains, rice and potatoes 
are also cultivated on irrigated land. Sometimes insufficient warmth 
in the northern areas can hinder crop ripening. Harsh weather (i.e. 
late-spring and early-fall frosts, draughts, high temperatures) and